Electric arcs have been used to process fluids as evidenced by, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,150 to Ruggero Maria Santilli, issued Aug. 7, 2012 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,780,924 to Ruggero Maria Santilli, issued Aug. 24, 2010. In such, it has been recognized that for some fluids, it is desired to expose a large percentage of the fluid to the electric arc for many reasons including efficient conversion to combustible gas and for disabling of certain microbes (as when the fluid is sewage).
In prior systems, the fluid was pumped directly through the electrodes that produced the arc, through a channel formed within one or both electrodes of the arc, as in the noted patents to Santilli. When processing certain fluids, notably carbon-based fluids such as petroleum-based oils, systems of the prior art often realized buildup of carbon on one of the electrodes, requiring periodic shutting down of the reactor to replace or clean the electrode. It is desired to operate the reactor for as long as possible before replacing or servicing the electrodes, which was addressed partially by prior disclosures having moving electrodes that allowed for tuning of the electrodes by moving one or both electrodes closer, farther, or to a different position with respect to the other electrode. As the electrode accumulates carbon or as the electrode erodes (e.g., gives up carbon) the voltage, fluid flow, and position of the electrodes are adjusted to maintain an optimal arc. Such mechanisms are useful in extending the non-stop operational time of these reactors, but these mechanisms have limited ability to reduce buildup of carbon on the electrodes, especially when processing carbon or petroleum based fluids such as used motor oil, crude oil, vegetable oil, used cooking oil, used motor oil, or any fluids with hydrocarbon structures. For example, when electrodes are submerged in such fluids and an arc is formed between the electrodes, carbon bi-products are separated from the fluids and deposited on one or both of the electrodes, causing substantial buildup of such byproducts on the electrodes.
What is needed is a system that will efficiently flow a fluid through an electric arc, exposing as much of the fluid as possible to the plasma created by the electric arc, while reducing accumulation of carbon bi-products on the electrodes that produce the electric arc.